Bobbi Brown Hydrating Gel Cream Review, Photos

Bobbi Brown Hydrating Gel Cream

Bobbi Brown Hydrating Gel Cream ($50.00 for 1.7 oz.) is an incredibly moisturizing cream with the texture of a gel/cream hybrid but all of the hallmarks of a water-based gel. It absorbs within a coupleof minutes, and it never feels greasy or heavy. I have normal-to-dry skin, and especially in the fall/winter, I do tend towards moderately dry. I used this for a month and a half (usually both in the morning and evening, which is why I finished it so quickly), and my skin drank it in.

It wore beautifully under makeup, because it dries down to a near matte finish and doesn’t have any slip, slide, or residual greasiness after application. The texture is more like a cream than gel, but it lacks the density of cream, so it also lacks the heaviness when applied–it has a comfortably lightweight feel. I was so pleased that it worked well in the mornings, though, because it is often the easiest for me to tell just how enduring a moisturizer is–some will leave my skin feeling parched by early afternoon, but this moisturizer worked around the clock. The Hydrating Gel Cream comes in a screw-top jar made out of a hard plastic. It has a clean scent–light herbal-citrus; just very fresh and subtle.

By the by, are we not in the year 2011? Isn’t it about time beauty brands started listing ingredients online? I’m so beyond frustrated when I inquire via email/live chat only to be told to call some 1-800 number. Really — you think the best way to handle this is reading off a laundry list of hard-to-pronounce ingredients?

final thoughts: I love this for morning or evening, really. It makes for an excellent daytime moisturizer (assuming you use a separate SPF, of course!) for those with drier skin types that don’t want to wear a heavy cream underneath their makeup. For those with oilier skin with drier patches or still want a more hydrating moisturizer for the evening (but without the heaviness of true evening creams), I think this would work quite nicely. This moisturizer strikes a good balance between hydration and texture.

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I have combination sometimes oily skin and I bought that cream like over 2 weeks ago in my quest of finding the right moisture cream that works for day as well as night. I was hesitating between the brightening moisture cream and that one. I also bought the brightening toner, serum and the lathering soap tube. They all score well! I began to have a good opinion of Bobbi brown products. Back to this gel cream, it is good , doesn’t make you oily and the scent is very soft and subtle. But I won’t recommend it for normal to dry skin because I don’t think it will be moisturizing enough! Next time I’ll buy the brightening moisture cream.

Deffo there should be more listings on the net, it can be misleading, and some people can have allergic reactions to certain alcohols, extracts etc in products, especially facial skincare, so brands need to be more careful, youd think that the top high luxury ones would do it. lol

one great brand that does is e.l.f , cheapest you can get for good quality, on all their items i think they list their ingredients lol

christine – how often do you find that you able to use a silicone product like this? have you found a combo of ingredients that helps your skin tollorate it better than it normally would or is it just, some are okay and some are bothersome? i ask because i love silicone products but avoid them on people most of the time as it’s such a common allergy.

i like the idea of a moisturizer that doesn’t say it’s supposed to do anything but moisturize though! finally a product that does what it says it does and nothing less! lol!

Overall, if I don’t use a silicone-based primer along with a silicone-based foundation along with a silicone-based moisturizer, it’s fine! I’ve worn MUFE HD for years, which has several silicones, but I’ve never had a problem with it. When I’ve used Smashbox’s primer, my skin flared up. In the past, it just seemed to cause breakouts. The last product that I felt may have triggered breakouts was a sunscreen which did have dimethicone in it (though I’m not convinced/unconvinced it was the culprit). Like any acne-related concern, it’s always hard to figure it out. When I used the Smashbox primer, I must have been 19 or 20, and now I’m 24 and between my doctor and I, my acne seems primarily hormone/stress related.

But in general, I just keep it out of my primer and things seem to be fine. Oh, and I tend not to test out moisturizers or foundations that have silicones as the 2nd ingredient! Looking at BB’s ingredient list, it’s listed right before several essential oils, so it seems like the quantity of it would have to be pretty low.

haha i see you got that question a lot here i know what you mean though – i had one client who flaired up at several foundations we tried that has silicone in them. so she finally just said, “here, this is the foundation that i use and love.” she could wear it just fine. then i looked at the ingredients and the second one was silocone. go figure!

skin being so complex… everyone being so different from one another. those are the reasons i don’t really want to get into skincare reviews. i did one estee lauder eye cream review and i STRESSED over that review for DAYS! i was so nervous about doing it and i hated posting it! cause at the end of the day all i could really say was, “this is how it looks when you wear it…” not much else.

when even professionals can’t agree with each other on what’s best for your skin – all i want to say is, “it’s a moisturizer! if it ain’t dryin out my skin, it done did it’s job! what else do you want?!” lol!

Yup!! Overall, I prefer to review simpler skincare products (less claims, not necessarily simple ingredients), because the more claims, the more there is to review! The worst part is when something doesn’t work for you (say it breaks you out) and then people write it off because they assume it won’t work for them either.

Nope, not at all. I can tolerate dimethicone but only in certain quantities, so I am careful with how many products I use with dimethicone. Usually, if it’s not 1st or 2nd in the ingredient list, it hasn’t been a problem. I have issues using silicone-based primers, which are chocked full of dimethicone and other silicone ingredients!

If I had any skin issues – I would have stated so in the review! I am 100% honest in all reviews, about the good and the bad!

Isn’t dimethicone a silicone derivative? I thought you were experiencing sentivities to silicone… Anyway, this looks like a great cream! It has some of the same ingredients as Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream (the Imperata Cylindrica is what caught my eye) – I wonder how the two products compare.

If it is in large quantities – such as in a primer – which is why I have to be careful with how many products I use that have it and where they are in the ingredient list. For instance, I have always worn MUFE HD, which also has it, and have no issues. But if I were to combine MUFE HD with a silicone-based primer, I have had problems!

Thanks for the review. I’ve been using the BB hydrating cream, just on the outer edge of the orbital eye area, and find it can be too rich (whiteheads). This one sounds good. I’ve checked with other brands for ingredient lists, and only found the drugstore products providing such lists.

Those creams are much cheaper, so, yes, with the money charged for a product with better ingredients, an ingredient list ought to be provided. It’s 2011, and will be 2012, and Clinique will still keep things very mum. My skin breaks out from too many “cones,” but one it can tolerate, like in this product.

By the review,this seems awful similar to Garnier Nutritioniste Moisture Rescue Gel Cream Moisturizer…and for about $7.00,you may want to try it first.I have oily skin and it works well for me…moisturizing but no oily finish.

Thanks for tracking down those ingredients, Christine! It’s pretty much the most important info about a product and companies really should be more forthcoming. Same thing as calorie counts on restaurant menus.

I just went to the bobbi brown counter last night and got a makeover and they used this moisturizer! my skin looked awesome! the little 11″s i have between my eyebrows were WAY less noticeable. Im always hesitant to buy new skincare products, but i am definitely considering going back and getting this!